Before the release of Android 4.4, stock Android came with a basic SMS app. It served as a simple way to exchange text messages the old-school way, without dealing with data connections or usernames. Then the functionality got merged into Hangouts, and while a new standard Messenger app is returning for 5.0, there are many people with devices that won't see that update for months—if ever.

That leaves plenty of room for a basic texting app, one without a fancy name or a distracting icon, and one that doesn't look out of place compared to Google's first-party offerings. After many months in development, QKSMS could be just the thing.

Look and Feel

A quick trip to the Play Store page shows that QKSMS is clearly Material-inspired. A FAB floats in the corner of the screen, which you tap to create a new message. Underneath a tinted status bar is a UI with colors that pop and animations that accompany every action.

Since I tested QKSMS on a Nexus 5 still running stable software, Android 4.4.4, my screenshots all have a black (default) or transparent status bar (but later in this post you find an easy way to get around this). I've included the shots above so that you can see how the experience looks on a device running Lollipop. Regardless of where you install the software, everything between the two system bars will look the same.

From the moment you open the app, the emphasis on style is front and center. Your first decision to make is to pick up a color that will determine the look of the interface. By default there are 19 choices, but you can get over 170 by upgrading to QKSMS+ as a 99 cent in-app purchase.

With QKSMS+ (right), you can pick different shades of the initial 19 colors.

QKSMS keeps your conversations listed on the left and your previously open screen tucked on the right, leaving the FAB awkwardly hovering farther inward than usual.

The design took a moment for me to grasp, as I expected my conversation thread to always show up on the right. But the settings page appears there too if it's the last thing you had open. To make the conversations list take up the full screen, you have to find the option tucked away at the bottom of Settings > Appearance.

For people who prefer a darker theme, there's a night mode that will turn black on white into white/gray on black.

QKSMS lets you choose to use a tinted/transparent status or navigation bar. Whether you should is entirely a matter of personal preference. I'm pretty ambivalent towards the status bar, but I find the transparent navigation bar to be pretty tacky.

Users also have the ability to hide avatars, change font size, and alter whether sent or received message bubbles have color.

Extra Functionality

QKSMS may be just a texting client, but there's a little bit here to sink your teeth into. For starters, there's the Quick Reply feature that lets you respond to messages without having to switch into the main app. Instead, you engage with a pop-up window. It's nothing we haven't seen before, but it doesn't hurt to have around.

This app's pop-up comes with a thick action bar, which takes up a significant amount of on-screen space. When a message appears, you can tap on this action bar to make more text show up within the window. To dismiss the notification, just tap anywhere outside of the area.

Under Settings > General, you can enable support for EndlessJabber, choose to send group messages (instead of separate texts to many recipients), and split long messages into separate texts (or send them as an MMS instead). And hidden under Settings > Advanced, there's the option to enable Lollipop-style tinted status bar if you so choose.

Should You Download It?

QKSMS delivers on its promise of being stylish and simple. Is its UI without flaws? No, but few ever are, and at least this time you have several options to tweak things to your liking. Not only that, everything you need is available out of the box for free, and there aren't any bothersome ads to deal with.

The app doesn't have some of the more advanced functionality of other options out there, and there isn't a particularly strong reason to use it over something similar like Textra. But if you just want something different, QKSMS should fit the bill.

Agreed. Textra is the first SMS app I have found that can deal with MMS properly, supports animated GIFs, and doesn't display MMS images in an awkward format. It also does a great job as a simple and fast SMS app.

trinkner

I've been using chompSMS which is very customizable, simple to use, has a richer pop-up feature, and handles group messaging very nicely. I'm on T-Mo in the US, which causes plenty of problems for people connected to WiFi when group messaging. chompSMS automatically ldisconnects you from WiFi, sends the MMS, and the reconnects you to WiFi all very seamlessly.

ProductFRED

Textra has the same feature.

trinkner

Yep. Textra and chompSMS are made by the same developers. Chomp is their more fully customizable app.

ProductFRED

Actually, I was using Textra before this, and while I don't MMS a lot (I use Hangouts mostly), I noticed the UI is extremely similar to Textra. Even the Settings screen. It has useful features that Textra doesn't, like Automatic Night Mode (well, for 99 cents, but worth it). In the 3 days I've had the app, it's been updated several times to squash bugs. Great job by the dev.

Mobin Amanzai

It's the other way around, QKSMS actually had material design elements long before textra

ProductFRED

Yeah I know. The dev of QKSMS modestly pointed it out a while ago, I believe.

I've been using QKSMS for a few months now as a beta, it's a fantastic messaging app, but still needs a lot of work. Luckily the dev seems to be devoted to fixing issues as soon as possible.

Tomáš Petrík

You just copy-pasted my comment from my mind!
I scrolled down here to write exactly the same things.

Daniel Pasut

The only issue I actually have with the app is switching to and from automatic night mode (QKSMS+). Sometimes the text doesn't show up and I have to clear the app from my recent apps and reopen it.

Mlibbey

Dev is very quick and responsive which is a huuuge plus

Matt Pankey

Does it support delayed sending?

Quint’s Sharking & Seashells

Let me get back to you on that.

John Smith

oooh! nice feature idea. I like it

Stig

Try Text Timer

James_C_L

I tried it out but I miss the feature from textra where you can select multiple messages at once to delete

Shark Bait

long live the sms

tylerc23

I tried it but missed HTC's messaging app so I switched back. Really liked the Pop-Up Messaging though

Professor D. Grover the XIIIth

One of the best things about QKSMS is that the devs are so incredibly active and devoted to fixing bugs as soon as they show up. Even in its alpha stage, the app quickly became one of the best of its kind, and it's only going to get better. There are still some bugs, as the app went straight from alpha to public, but you can expect those bugs to be fixed quickly.

joahnna

HI does qksms supports pick recipient?

Detonation

Does MMS and Group Messaging work properly yet?

Alexandre Leites

Someone send that to google. That's how Hangouts should be. * PSA: Google will buy that and destroy in the next months *

senor_heisenberg

Why would they buy this when they've updated the stock messaging app which doesn't look much different from this?

ProductFRED

Well, he means Hangouts. Hangouts, as it stands, is terrible. The old version was much better (aside from lacking the dialer):

- It stutters
- Keyboard input is slow
- There's no more slide-out conversation list
- The header takes up a huge chunk of the screen in the convo list

All true--but as someone who 'Hangouts' with a couple of very good friends, I don't want to use a separate app for my actual SMS.

NoneOfYourBizzness

I've been an Evolve guy for quite some time now, but this looks interesting. Always worth at least trying something new.

MagicMiguel

I've been tempted to try Evolve but I bought Klinker's first SMS app (Sliding Messaging) and it has always been buggy. The dev seems immature too (I think he's a high school kid) and he freaked out a couple of times when people have complained.

NoneOfYourBizzness

It is much better than Sliding. I was not impressed with that one either, and it was also buggy for me as well. No issues with Evolve at all tho. Definitely worth a try.

C64

I almost never send a sms. So the stock sms will just do fine.

Homer J. Simpson

Ugly app icon, app looks fantastic though.

Toinou

Seems pretty similar to Textra if you ask me, which is why I'll stick with Textra.

RajivSK

I like to mess around with my phone every now and again, as I presume many of you do. With that in mind, cloud backup is a must for me. I'm using EvolveSMS now and love their UI. The backup process could be a little more sleek though. The first app to bring seamless backups in the cloud gets my money.

WHO?

I use google voice. I have no choice but to use hangouts. I can't send emojis or mms or quick reply. Can't do that with any third party app. WIll this app do that or do I have to wait for messenger 5.0 Will messenger 5.0 even allow me to use messenger 5.0 to send google voice mms, emojis and quick reply pop up??????

George Bakos

I want to like the app but this icon... Ugh...

NoneOfYourBizzness

Icon packs.

tym0

I've used it for while but to be honest I got tired of all those "theme engine" Apps it just end up looking like Crap whichever color you pick. App designer do your job and stop that theme engine trend.

Edit: new messenger does the job for me and look way better.

Sky

i've have both textra and QKSMS installed, both work wonders and both look idintical wich isn't a bad thing as they both look amazing .. QKSMS for me is a little faster and has a slight edge due to the slide out sms list that Textra doesn't have.. But other than that everything seems fine on both..fast and smooth on my G3 :)

treypoundz

So this is basically googles android 5.0 messenging app with more features. Correct me if I'm wrong.

VERY similar to Textra, even the theme color selection....downloading now to give it a try.

Moez Bhatti

QKSMS had it first :)

InfDaMarvel

I tried it out. I don't recommend it for lower end devices. It blends in with the stock UI well but I find it bland. It looks like Hello SMS with colors and quick messaging. However the performance certainly doesnt match Hello SMS.

Buzz

the problem i have with hello is it doesn't offer quick reply over top other screens.

M. Salman

just like Textra Messaging App

Buzz

so pretty much a new version of textra? This looks almost exactly like it.

tehdef

I have a crummy dilemma. I like Hangouts now because it handles SMS and it's messaging platform.

I don't like Hangouts because he gives Material the big 'fuck you'.

I wouldn't mind having something like QkSMS, if it had Hangouts integration. Sadly, closed platform. /shrug

Kenny Woodard

Textra is essentially the polished and reliable version of this. No reason to go with QKSMS over Textra IMO. Been with Textra for months now and nothing comes close to its speed and handling of basic SMS/MMS needs.

Michael Carlyle

Love Textra, but one advantage this does have is auto-converting long messages to MMS so you don't have the annoying split, potentially out of order messages.

Kenny Woodard

Yeah that would be a pretty nice feature and I hope Textra integrates it soon. But QKSMS just isn't as reliable and quick enough to overtake Textra in my mind. I'd rather have that lack of feature than deal with the bugs and lags in QKSMS. I feel like Textra really doesn't want to bloat the app anymore than they have to.

Michael Carlyle

Yep, definitely not moving from Textra, either.

primalxconvoy

Handcent already does that.

Michael Carlyle

Yep, Handcent and a few others do, you're correct. I'll continue with Textra for its aesthetics and speed, though, and just hope that Textra can make that change soon. It's really the only thing I want from Textra that's not already there.

You can change this setting under Appearance & Layout under Google Keyboard settings. You have "Material Dark", "Material Light", "Holo Dark" and "Holo Light".

Shawn

Google Keyboard (stock in 5.0)

T

Unicode strip support! You got my € ;)

Sunny

Hangouts or gtfo

Trooper311

Most annoying thing with this app is texting when in landscape mode.

Trooper311

I still prefer the Lollipop Messaging app. This does have nice colors and night mode though. Hmm.

kamiller42

Questions: 1) Does it maintain an SMS database separate from the system one like Textra? Doing so doubles the space required to store SMSes. 2) Does it support swipe options like Touchwiz's Messages app where I can initiate a call or new message by swiping?

Fatal1ty_93_RUS

Google really should have put in a Night Mode or a Dark Theme systemwide toggle in 5.0 since Material Design supports that just fine as seen in several MD themed apps

Crispin Swickard

All the upvotes to this. I don't even have an AMOLED device anymore but for my preferences, and the sake of the millions of AMOLED users out there this. :)

Nathan J

Contacts+ is still the best in my book — as long as I've been using it, I just can't imagine contacts and messaging being separate entities, and it boggles my mind to see dialer, contacts, and messaging (or Hangouts) on the dock. For me, that's all one app.

Could stand a Material overhaul though... They are not quick to update.

Oh. And they had the pop-up, floating SMS reply thingy since before I ever heard of every other messaging app named in the comments. Not saying they started it. I'm sure someone else did. But that, in and of itself, isn't a reason to switch. Every good SMS app should at least have it as an option.

But hey, before we delve into which is the best... Isn't it great that we have all these choices?

LaMar

I used to use Contacts+ for a long time until signing up for QKSMS in beta. Honestly, I haven't minded the switch and it does have a dialer feature within it. Contacts+ is better as a one-stop shop for contacts on various platforms, but as a quick, easy SMS messager, QKSMS is pretty cool. And like someone noted before, Moez is excellent when it comes to updating and communicating with the community.

Of course, the other person has to have this app (or one that interprets the same) to see it, but you see it if they type it or you do. CLEVER!

MikeJwF

Does this have the feature where it activates mobile data to send and receive MMS and then promptly deactivates it like Textra does? I love that feature, pretty much a deal breaker for me.

Farmaan

Seems like a exact copy of textra ..

Moez Bhatti

QKSMS looked like this months before Textra did.

Farmaan

Hey bro if you can some how integrate handouts with your app ... Even though Google support it I'll use your app over textra. Or a killer feature that differentiates between then two.

JeffColorado

What is this doing that Textra does not already do? Even the UI looks the same. Not saying it sucks, just want to see if there is something I'm missing.

Sharath

Textra all the way...

Portzblitz

There was already a QKSMS in the Play store-- it's called TEXTRA.

JosephMoreno

QKSMS was on the Play Store as invite-only before Textra had its redesign.

Portzblitz

Hmm. I did not know.

Portzblitz

Oh. (looks around, sheepishly)

Portzblitz

oh.

JosephMoreno

YOUVE REPLIED TO THIS THREE TIMES ALREADY

Portzblitz

What are you talking about? Also: why the caps..? Relax already.

Adobo King

Looks like Textra

Roy

There are too many excelent options for sms apps. I mean like, A LOT awesome (Hoverchat, Textra, EvolveSMS) and know this one who also looks very nice and sleek. If only people would use SMS...

Larry Prengruber

Use textra same look better package!

Robert Dziedzic

I love how everyone compares this to textra when QKSMS had material design way before textra... Get your facts straight!

Rey John Hernandez

I wish SMS apps support dual-SIM phones.

NoPovertyPimps

This thing looks exactly like EvolveSms, even down to the UI/x strings in options, etc.

brandon johnson

Does anybody have an issue with MMS notifications not opening or clearing when using this? I have 2 unread MMS 9my wife has the same problem, only hers shows 5) and no matter what I do, even uninstalling, I cannot clear it